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Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Vocals
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Songwriter
Richard Tufo
Richard Tufo
Arranger
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Producer
Roger Anfinsen
Roger Anfinsen
Engineer

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Back in the world
Back in the world
Back in the world
Back in the world
[Verse 2]
Crawling through the trees
Stuck in the mud up to the knees
Fighting this damn war
Wondering if the Lord knows
What it's for
[Verse 3]
Six long years stretch
And we boys was in a hell of a mess
I gotta keep my mind
Take is slow
Fighting hard
For what, I don't know
[Verse 4]
I wanna get back home
Gotta get back home
Back to the world
[Verse 5]
I had a talk with little mom
Strenuous face as she began to hum
She said, boy, it's good to see ya
My prayers must've been with ya
And now that you're back in town
Let me tell ya, son
The war was never won
The war was never won
[Verse 6]
In these city streets, everywhere
You gotta be careful
Where you move your feet
How you part your hair
Do you really think
God could ever forgive
This life we live?
Back in the world
Back in the world
[Verse 7]
It's so hard
It's so hard
It's so hard
This life is so hard
[Verse 8]
I've beaten up and robbed
Soldier boy ain't got no job
Back in the world
[Verse 9]
Had a long stretch of sacrifice
Getting back home will be awful nice
Child your woman has long been gone
The doggone war just lasted too long
[Verse 10]
People don't give a damn
People don't give a damn
People don't give a damn
[Verse 11]
So I'm standing here
In future shock
It can give the mind
An awful block
Talkin 'bout hard times
Hard times, hard times
Back in the world
[Verse 12]
It's so hard
It's so hard
This life is so hard
[Verse 13]
I've beaten up and robbed
Soldier boy ain't got no job
Back in the world
[Verse 14]
Back in the world
Back in the world
Back in the world
[Verse 15]
It's so hard
It's so hard
It's so hard
This life is so hard
[Verse 16]
Back in the world
Back in the world
Back in the world
[Verse 17]
Forgiveness instead of amnesty
Simple words that seem so clear to me
Forgive our country
Mississippi State
Forgive your man
Wasting love for hate
When truth, honesty is true
We don't seem to know what to do
Back in the world
Written by: Curtis Mayfield
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